Involvement of Cell Proliferation Induced by Dual Intracellular Signaling of HB-EGF in the Development of Colitis-Associated Cancer during Ulcerative Colitis

In ulcerative colitis (UC), the duration and severity of inflammation are responsible for the development of colorectal cancer. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), reactive nitric metabolites (RNMs) and interleukin (IL)-8, released by epithelial and immune cells, are involved in the pathogenesis of colitis-associated cancer. Nitric oxide and peroxynitrite activate epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and therapeutic agents targeted towards EGFR are currently used to treat advanced colorectal cancer. IL-8 (a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) agonist), which is involved in neutrophil recruitment and activation in persistent active colitis, also promotes cleavage of the proheparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (proHB-EGF) through a disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM). The cleaved HB-EGF and C-terminal fragments (intracellular CTF) regulate proliferation via EGFR activation and nuclear export of promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger, transcription repressor, respectively. Here, we focus on the mechanisms by which RNM- and IL-8-induced EGF signaling regulate cell proliferation during the development of colitis-associated cancer.